More particularly, the problem which the invention is intended to resolve is that of treating large numbers of parts at low cost.
To achieve this object, those skilled in the art have devised what are known as “in-line machines”, in which the different successive steps of the deposition process are carried out in dedicated chambers, positioned one after another and connected with valves enabling them to be isolated, so that the parts to be treated pass successively from one enclosure to the next. Generally, the number of enclosures in the sequence is the same as the number of different steps in the process.
This type of machine is very suitable when all steps of the process have approximately the same duration, but if the duration of one of the steps is considerably longer than that of the others—which is generally the case—the step in question will determine the kinetics of the whole sequence and therefore the productivity of the machine. Consequently, these machines have only been used on a very limited scale.
The object of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks in a simple, reliable, effective and rational way.
The problem which the invention is intended to resolve is that of providing continuous treatment of different substrates, particularly in the case of vacuum deposition of a metal, with the objective, on the one hand, of being able to regulate the rate of treatment not on the basis of the longest time but on the basis of the shortest time, which will clearly enable the duration of the whole treatment to be reduced considerably, and, on the other hand, of having a high degree of flexibility in operation, by creating a treatment assembly which is modular, instead of being fixed like the technical solutions used at present.